Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1887-07-01
A Hernnit'S Death.

Through mud and rain, over rocky
thoroughfareS. seven miles into the
rural districts of Monson there lived
hermit, whose quiet country home and
its surroundings is novel sight,
writes Palmer. Mass, correspondent
of the Boston GtObe.
The rural home is now forsaken be-
cause Guy GoodweIl. its recent sole
occupant, whom everybody in the
section knew. has passed into eternity.
The man i'll question was nearly
eighty years of age. of dark complex
ion, and of fair physique for one Of
his years. He has always been hale
and hearty man from his boyhood days
until he was found on the floor of his
quaint, old-fashioned home with his
eyelids closed i'm death.
1t is evident that he died a natural
death, as no marks of violence or foul
play were perceptible upon any portion
of the dead mans body. 1t is the gen.
eral verdict that he had been dead for
several days when found: and the
physician who was summoned to view
the dead mans remains deemed it in
expedient to hold an inquest and
Thought perhaps his death might have
resulted from an apoplectic shock.
He was accustomed to ask for the
assistance of neighbor. James
Chaffee. whenever he desired to send
upon an errand To the village. This
kindness had been granted to the old
man for so many years that it had
grown to be duty which neighbor
Chatfee rarely ever allowed to slip
his mind but it happened that he had
neglected To call upon old GUY for
several days, and when he did call it
was To his surprise that all the doors
were locked. curtains of n temporary
Kind placed upon the windows, and his
old friend lying upon the floor dead.
T;.e aou>ework. cooking, etc, and
the duties that frequently fall upon a
woman were discharged by old Guy.
The house in which he lived was liter
ally hovel, being of an antique de-
sign and badly dilapidated from garret
tn cellar Its dimensions are twenty
five feet wide by thirty-tive feet long,
and constructed of wood. The struct-
ure contains three rooms but only one
of these was occupied bv the hermit
and his sheep. which were his only
companions.
When he retired at night he always
.'penned his sheep off" in one corner
of the room, utilizing the. wood-box
aud other material in fencing them in,
while ut the dawn of day thay were
allowed To ramble about the room,
and were trained 10 perfection.
He was also the happy possessor.of
an old horse which he kept in a build
ing adjacent, this animal being ae-
companicd by two hens and rooster;
the latter he depended upon to awake
h;nr from slumher each morning.
His mode of securing living was
not due tn assi.luons and hard labor,
as the little tract of land that he
owned was never cultivated. but al
lowed to grow up to brush" He
occasionally manufactured baskets
AND SOL s!.:.r. "a fha ,s.iIisvers fhus
obtaining some money, which he ex-
crcised due Judgment in expending
for other than necessary articles and
most invariably doing without even
those. n the appearance of his hovel
would seem to indicate. His furniture
consisted of stove. bed. Il few dishes,
and one or two chairs.
Ii j. believed by some that he had
property and money concealed, but
where il is hidden is n conundrum.
Investigations will probably be made
soon.